The present invention relates to a high-pressure fuel accumulator for a common-rail fuel injection system of an internal combustion engine, having a tubular main piece which is equipped with a plurality of connections.
A high-pressure fuel accumulator is described, for example, in German Patent No. 196 40 480. In common-rail injection systems, a high-pressure pump, possibly with the assistance of a pre-supply pump, feeds fuel to be injected from a tank into the central high-pressure fuel accumulator, which is known as a common rail. Fuel lines lead from the rail to the individual injectors, which are associated with the cylinders of the internal combustion engine. The injectors are controlled individually by the electronic system of the engine, depending on the operating parameters of the internal combustion engine, in order to inject fuel into the combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine. The pressure generation and the injection are uncoupled from one another by the high-pressure fuel accumulator.
The rail known from German Patent No. 196 40 480 is made out of a precisely fitting forging blank. Different forging blanks are required for different versions of engines.
An object of the present invention is to provide a high-pressure fuel accumulator of the type described above, which can be used for a large number of similar engines, for example common four-cylinder engines. In addition, the high-pressure fuel accumulator according to the present invention is to have a simple design and be economical to manufacture.
In the case of a high-pressure fuel accumulator for a common rail fuel injection system of an internal combustion engine having a tubular main body, which is equipped with a plurality of connections, the object is achieved by the fact that a continuous connector block is made on the tubular main body. The connections can be made in the continuous connector block by a machining operation such as drilling. Any distance between the connections can be chosen. Therefore it is possible to use one forging blank for producing different rails for different versions of engines. The tooling costs required for producing the forging blank are considerably reduced in this way.
The object cited above in the case of a high-pressure fuel accumulator for a common rail fuel injection system of an internal combustion engine, having a tubular main body which is provided with a plurality of connections, is also achieved by the fact that several connections are provided on the tubular main body, their dimensions in the longitudinal direction of the tubular main body being greater than the space required for the connections. The connections can be made so wide that the position of the connections, for example made by a machining manufacturing process, is completely optional within the predefined width. In this way it is guaranteed that one forging blank can be used for producing different rails for different versions of engines. Thus the tooling costs required for producing the forging blank are reduced considerably.
The object cited above in the case of a high-pressure fuel accumulator for a common rail fuel injection system of an internal combustion engine, having a tubular main body which is provided with several connections, is also achieved by the fact that in each connection is provided in a connecting part which encloses the tubular main body and is situated in the area of an opening in the tubular main body. The opening can be made using a machining operation such as drilling at any location of the tubular main body. The separate connecting part can therefore also be provided at any location of the tubular main body. This provides the advantage that the high-pressure fuel accumulator according to the present invention can be assembled according to the modular principle. A highly flexible rail design is thus made possible. Many identical parts can be used. In addition, the materials of the different components can be chosen in accordance with load and manufacturing conditions. There is separation of the functions of high pressure accumulation and connection or distribution. The connecting part may be made as a forged, punched, or extruded part in large numbers as vendor parts.
In a specific embodiment of the present invention, the connecting part is attached using a clamp connection on the tubular main body. The clamp connection can be made detachable by a screw connection. Instead of the screw connection the clamp connection also can be made as a riveted, shrunk-on, or welded connection.
In a further specific embodiment of the present invention, at least one fastening flange enclosing the tubular main body is fixedly clamped to the tubular main body with a fastening strap. The fastening strap is used for fastening the high-pressure fuel accumulator to the internal combustion engine.
In a further specific embodiment of the present invention, the connector block or the connections are forged onto the tubular main body. In this way the high-pressure strength and the service life of the high-pressure fuel accumulator are increased.
In a further specific embodiment of the present invention, several fastening straps are welded onto the tubular main body. Welding the fastening straps provides the advantage that the position of the fastening flanges or the installation points is freely selectable.
In a further specific embodiment of the present invention, the tubular main body has a blind hole running in the longitudinal direction, whose open end is closed by a pressure sensor. This provides the advantage that no additional high-pressure sealing of the pressure sensor is necessary. A sealing plug for the open end of the blind hole can be omitted.
In a further specific embodiment of the present invention, the pressure sensor is surrounded by a protective sleeve. The protective sleeve is used for protecting the pressure sensor against mechanical damage. The protective sleeve may be made in one piece or in two pieces.